This invention relates to new and useful improvements in equipment loading apparatus and more particularly pertains to apparatus for loading equipment on and unloading it from the top of a vehicle. Although the apparatus of the invention is illustrated herein as comprising a loader and unloader for boats, it is to be understood that it can as well be applied to other types of equipment which may be desired to be loaded on top of a vehicle.
Boat loading and unloading apparatuses have heretofore been provided for vehicles but such constructions are costly in their manufacture and difficult to install on the vehicle. In addition, such prior apparatuses require manual assistance at various stages throughout the loading or unloading operations. U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,314 solves many of the problems of prior devices in that it is substantially simplified in construction and furthermore is effective in loading or unloading a boat without any substantial manual assistance. The structure shown in such patent, however, has some deficiences one of which is that once it is attached to a vehicle it is substantially limited or customized to a certain length of boat and particular vehicle configuration. Another disadvantage of the structure of the mentioned patent is that while the boat handling lines provide a hold down for the bow of the boat, the stern must be separately tied down.